Cessna 152 accident near Front Royal, Virginia, August 16, 1983
On August 16, 1983 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Cessna 152, registered N6171Q, was destroyed in an accident near Front Royal, Virginia (Front Royal-Warren County airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 1983 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Front Royal, Virginia · Front Royal-Warren County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N6171Q · registry record · serial 15285182
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STUDENT PILOT WAS ON HIS FIRST SOLO CROSS COUNTRY FLT. DURING THE APPROACH TO FRONT ROYAL THE STUDENT WAS ADVISED BY UNICOM THAT A DEER WAS ON THE RWY. THE UNICOM OPERATOR SUGGESTED THAT HE BUZZ THE ARPT TO CHASE THE DEER AWAY. THE STUDENT HEARD ONLY THAT THAT A DEER WAS ON THE RWY. AS HE CONTINUED HIS APPROACH HE WAS ADVISED THAT THE DEER WAS OFF TO THE LEFT OF THE RWY. THE STUDENT SPOTTED THE DEER JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN. WHEN THE ACFT LANDED IT BOUNCED AND CAME DOWN HARD ON THE NOSE GEAR. THE NOSE GEAR FOLDED BACK AND SEVERED A FUEL LINE. SPARKS FROM THE PROPELLER HITTING THE RWY, IGNITED THE FUEL. THE PILOT EXITED THE ACFT AND DID NOT TURN OFF THE FUEL. THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED IN THE FIRE.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 24 hours in all; 24 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 4 as pilot in command; 20 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 825 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 5, 1983; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Eagle Air, Incorporated
The flight
- Departed from: HGR Hagerstown MD at 4:20 pm
- Destination: FRR Front Royal VA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 27, 3,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.